Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 134: A House Filled With Laughter

"Auntie Charlotte!!! You’re back!!!" Haven was the first to greet her with excitement.

The little girl dashed forward so quickly that Charlotte barely had time to open her arms before Haven leapt into her embrace. Luckily, Damon steadied Charlotte from behind, or the force of the jump might have knocked her off balance.

Charlotte laughed, hugging Haven close and planting a kiss on her head. "I missed you too, sweetheart."

Haven tilted her face up, her eyes sparkling like tiny stars. "You were gone forever! I thought you’d never come back!"

"What do you mean?" Charlotte chuckled, swaying her gently in her arms. "I was only gone for less than two weeks. I’ll never leave you for too long."

Haven puffed out her cheeks with a pout. "Hmph! You were gone for ten days!" She pulled back slightly and held up all ten fingers right in front of Charlotte’s face. "That’s soooo long! I didn’t even get to show you the new cartoon!"

Charlotte laughed even harder at her dramatic little tantrum. "Oh, don’t be mad. I promise I’ll watch all the episodes so we can talk about them together, alright?" She tapped Haven’s nose lightly. "But for now ... why don’t we eat some cake? Uncle Damon brought lots of them just for you."

At once, Haven’s eyes lit up like fireworks. She turned to Damon, spotting the paper bag in his hand. "Cake!!! Let’s eat cake!"

She quickly hopped down from Charlotte’s arms and eagerly grabbed the box Damon was carrying. "Mommy! Help me slice it!"

Vera arched a brow and crossed her arms, though there was a smile tugging at her lips. "Haven, don’t be rude," she reminded gently. "What do you say after receiving something?"

"Oh!" Haven spun around quickly, bobbing her head a few times. "Thank you, Aunt Charlotte! Thank you, Uncle Damon!"

Charlotte’s heart melted at the sight of Haven’s eager little face. She reached out to ruffle the girl’s hair. "You’re very welcome, my darling. Now, let’s see if Mommy will give us a big slice."

Once Charlotte went into the kitchen with Vera and Haven to slice the cake, Damon was left alone with Louis in the living room. Diana had gone out on patrol, and Mona had decided to spend the day with her friends to clear her head.

"How’s Carmen?" Damon asked as he settled onto the couch.

Louis shrugged. "She still doesn’t come out of her room very often, but at least now she’s been walking in the garden every morning." His tone carried a trace of relief, though his eyes still looked a bit worried.

Damon gave a slow nod, leaning back slightly. "That’s a good start. Maybe I should take her to see Priscilla later. I heard from the nurse that she’s been calmer these days."

Louis only answered with a low hum before nudging Damon’s foot a few times with his shoe, clearly trying to get a reaction out of him. It didn’t take long for Damon to frown in annoyance.

Damon clicked his tongue. "What?"

"Oh, don’t be like that." Louis grinned as he shifted to sit beside him, casually throwing an arm over Damon’s shoulder. "Tell me ... how’s your first rut with a mate going? You look more glowing than ever."

Damon shot him a glare, but Louis only smirked wider.

All these years, before Damon ever marked someone as his mate, he had always gone through his rut alone, and every time it ended, he would be a complete mess, like more moody, short-tempered, and quick to explode over the smallest mistake.

But this time was different. Damon seemed much calmer, and he even looked so refreshed it was as if he had just returned from the greatest vacation of his life.

Louis chuckled. "Honestly, I almost don’t recognize you. Who knew my grumpy brother could actually glow?"

"Fuck off." Damon shoved him aside, not wanting to entertain his endless teasing.

Louis only laughed harder, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. But come on, you can’t blame me. You’ve been walking around like a man who just discovered paradise."

"Of course," Damon said without hesitation. "Do you even realize how hard it was to win Charlotte over? It was so damn difficult, so yeah, of course I feel like I’m in paradise now."

Louis burst out laughing, nudging Damon’s arm again and again. "Listen to you! My tough, grumpy brother has turned into a lovesick fool." He grinned wickedly. "Who was the one who used to say, ’I don’t need a mate’?"

Damon shot him a glare, but that only made Louis laugh even harder.

"Stop laughing." Damon kicked his legs instead, but Louis only kept teasing him, insisting he looked like a lovesick boy.

"What’s going on here?" Charlotte’s voice echoed through the living room, making Damon immediately sit up straighter.

Louis quickly leaned back against the couch with an innocent look on his face, as if nothing had happened. "Oh, nothing at all, Charlotte. Just having a friendly brotherly chat."

Damon cleared his throat and looked away, muttering, "Ignore him."

Charlotte only shook her head, thinking it was normal for siblings to quarrel a little. "Come to the dining room, we’ve already sliced the cake and warmed up the takeout food."

Louis immediately jumped to his feet. "Now that’s the best news I’ve heard all day."

Damon let out a rough sigh, clearly irritated by his brother’s antics. But the moment his eyes met Charlotte’s, his expression softened instantly.

Charlotte smiled at him, pulling his hand to help him get up. "Come on," she said gently. "Let’s eat before everything gets cold."

Damon nodded, his lips curving into the faintest smile. "Alright."

The dining room finally filled with the sound of laughter and cheerful chatter. Haven’s giggles rang the loudest as she proudly showed Charlotte the giant slice of cake on her plate, while Vera shook her head with a helpless smile. Louis was already piling food onto his plate as if he hadn’t eaten in days, earning another scolding look from Vera that only made him grin wider.

Charlotte sat beside Damon, the warmth of the room seeping into her chest. After days of mating, it felt good to be surrounded by family again, sharing something as simple as food and laughter.

Damon leaned closer, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "This feels ... right," he murmured. "Like home."

Charlotte’s heart softened, and she reached under the table to squeeze his hand. "It is home," she whispered back.